Eating or Drinking?
by Fears-of-the-Doctor
Summary: Have you ever lived in a castle? Shigeo has; still does. It's a wonderful thing, people think; to grow up soft, loved, and spoiled. What a dream. But castles devour everything and leave behind only the emptiest of a person.


A short chapter to quick-start another Black and Gold AU fanfic. It has no relation to my previous story, "Concerning the Relations of the King and the Head of the Civil Guard," but it is a part of that series in general.

A shout out to Beanpots for such a wonderful AU!

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The castle was such a lonely place sometimes; in fact, sometimes was a lot of the time. Shigeo often found himself thinking that the castle liked to be in a state of sometimes. It was usually lonely. He guessed it just liked to be lonely. But this also meant that Shigeo was lonely. Which he was okay with. It wasn't like he could argue with the place that gave him a bedroom and library and kitchen. So, he was okay.

It was just a little dreary sometimes. The walls were gray stone, the floors cold marble; the rooms were big and chilly; the corridors were long and narrow. Everything was too far apart. Everything was too quiet, like the cracks in the stones devoured the sounds. If someone was there-cooks, maids, butlers-Shigeo didn't know. He supposed they were there, because sometimes he'd come across one or two, and he always had food to eat, and the shelves were never dusty. But even with a number of people in the castle, the empty rooms and corridors swallowed them whole.

But, somehow, they always found him even when he couldn't find them. Usually, they could find him only when he was trying not to be found. "Prince" this and "prince" that; butlers telling him a carriage was waiting outside so he could visit another noble, maids bringing the tailor to him because, apparently, he needed more clothes, scholars he'd never met before asking his opinion on politics. Useless things that the castle would devour as well. Shigeo figured he was probably being chewed away at too. But what could he do? He lived here. He'd probably die here.

"Your Majesty!" Shigeo started, whisked his head around to find Hanazawa jogging down the corridor towards him still in his full knight gear, metal and lean muscle head-to-toe. His heavy shoes hit the ground with a loud thunk that rebounded off the walls and thusly consumed by the cracks.

"Is something wrong, Sir Hanazawa?" Shigeo questioned, concerned.

"Oh, no," Hanazawa slowed the closer he got, a small curve of his lips that Shigeo wanted to mistake for a smile. "I was just making a report to the Head of Civil Guard when I saw you. Where are you off to, Your Majesty?"

"Oh," he looked in front of him. "The library." He didn't let Hanazawa on to the truth; he had been pacing the castle aimlessly in a daze and hadn't at all known where he was until Hanazawa awakened his attention.

"Really? We're quite far from the library," his voice was innocent and nice. It soothed Shigeo's mind like herbs soothed burns.

"A-are we? I hadn't noticed."

Hanazawa ignored the uncertainty that Shigeo thought was apparent in his voice. "Do you want to head their together? I don't have to go back on duty until sunset."

"...Yes, please," Shigeo considered this proposal, finding himself tickled with the idea of spending time with his strongest knight.

Together, the pair started their trek across the castle, a long walk, a journey, really. They were quiet for sometime. It was just the clack of Hanazawa's shoes, and the click of Shigeo's boots. It wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, it was comforting. Shigeo felt content in knowing that Hanazawa felt he didn't need to make small talk with him. Hanazawa had told him once, just once, that he was only quiet with people he held dear; Hanazawa didn't hate being quiet around him. He was dear to Hanazawa.

As they neared the library, he broke the peaceful quiet. "Your Majesty, is something bothering you?"

Shigeo snapped his eyes to him, curious. "Where is this coming from, Sir Hanazawa?"

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten how well I know you?" For some reason, a teasing smile was playing on Hanazawa's face. Shigeo loved when Hanazawa teased, but he had no idea why he was teasing right now.

"Um, yes, but I don't understand. Please explain, Sir Hanazawa."

His voice changed, just as gentle but softer. "Shigeo..." Shigeo swallowed; when Hanazawa used his name, he was serious. Why was there such a drastic turn of attitude now? "Were you really going to the library when I found you?"

"...Yes."

Hanazawa was looking at him, eyes more powerful than any battle move. Shigeo was having trouble looking up at his sincerity. "Don't lie, you know you're not good at it...Shigeo...were you out of it, again?"

They had stopped walking, still standing side-by-side. The door to the library was in sight, yet they were still so far away. Shigeo felt the cold of the stones seep into his bones. The castle was playing tricks on him.

All he had to do was say the words. "Sir Hanazawa," Hanazawa would understand. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

He watched Shigeo steadily. "Later?"

"...Later," he confirmed, watching as Hanazawa's ruffled feathers smoothed and the tension burned out.

The castle was consuming any strength left that Shigeo had to express himself; at least it wasn't snatching up Hanazawa.

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I'm not sure how long this story will be, and the updates will be very slow coming.

Thanks, you guys, for checking out this fic!


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